Ingredients

• 40g butter
• 3 medium (about 540g) brown onions, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1.25L (5 cups) Massel beef style liquid stock
• 125ml (1/2 cup) dry red wine
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/4 cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh continental parsley
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 sheets (25 x 25cm) ready-rolled puff pastry, just thawed
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

Method

• Step 1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until onion softens and browns.
• Step 2 Add the stock, wine and bay leaves, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Step 3 Preheat oven to 200°C. Use a 12cm diameter round pastry cutter to cut 4 discs from the pastry. Ladle the onion soup among four 500ml (2 cup) capacity, round 10cm (top measurement) ovenproof cups or dishes. Top cups with pastry discs, allowing the edges to overhang.
• Step 4 Press the pastry onto the rims of the cups to seal. Use a skewer to make a small hole in the centre of each pastry lid. Brush pastry with egg. Place cups on a baking tray.
• Step 5 Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until pastry puffs and is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.